Posts in Economy
‘Solo Planet’ Spotlights Christian Singleness Across Various Cultures

(REVIEW) It’s a shame that “Solo Planet” has such a ho-hum subtitle: “How Singles Help the Church Recover Our Calling.” It should be: “An Intrepid Reporter Surveys Christian Singles on Six Continents during a Whirlwind 17-month Tour.” Which is what Anna Broadway did. Having already written one book on singles, this 40-something single evangelical woman noticed that most literature on the topic came from an English-speaking, American perspective.

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Southern Baptist Pastors Plan To Open Migrant Center In Mexico

In the works are a humanitarian welcome center in Tapachula — a gateway at the Guatemalan border — for migrants of all nationalities, and Haitian-language church plants in Tapachula and Monterrey near the southern U.S. border.

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Global Missionary Partners Advance Gospel In Colombia

Laura Martinez’s letter to her supporters in Mexico is reminiscent of New Testament letters. Recently, she wrote about adapting quickly to the culture, climate, geography and gastronomy of Colombia. She enumerated the differences in seasons and interpretations of certain Spanish words, and she was pleasantly surprised the quality of water in Colombia is higher than where she’s from in Mexico.

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New Report Details What Evangelicals Think About Social And Political Issues

While a majority of American evangelicals may be united by fundamental spiritual beliefs, they are by no means in agreement on a variety of hot-button subjects, according to a new study. Eight months before the 2024 presidential election that will feature a rematch between President Biden and Donald Trump, the report brings into sharper focus what evangelicals think about a host of issues that could impact the election.

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Fast Food’s Quest To Feed Body And Soul During Lent And Beyond

Fast food aficionados and practicing Catholics alike are often familiar with the Filet-O-Fish story and how the sandwich was born as a result of Lent. Catholics aren’t the only religious group chain restaurants cater to because of faith and dietary restrictions. Here’s a look at some of the biggest menu options from around the world.

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Alliance University’s Closure Is A Major Loss For Minority Students In New York

Alliance University, a Christian college in lower Manhattan that primarily served minority students, announced it will close this year after losing its accreditation amid other hurdles.

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How Are Houses of Worship Like Retail Stores? Changing Channels Of Distribution

(OPINION) Houses of worship are in decline. One reason is Americans’ waning interest in religious institutions. Another may be the change in consumer behavior away from the “average” and toward the large, the online and the small but specialized. Houses of worship can develop hope by learning from the experiences of the retail, financial-services and health care industries.

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What Is Christian about (Swedish) Christian Democrats?

(OPINION) Given the insistence of this party that it is based on Christian values, it is worth exploring what those values are, is there a coherent set of ideas that this party stands for, and how these values and ideas relate to something we could meaningfully call Christianity.

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Nigerian Elections Halt Flights: An Adventure Filled with Faith and Financial Woes

(PERSONAL ESSAY) It was as if I faced what we call in development economics a “false paradigm.” A few days before leaving my home country, every stop I took at a bank around my place of residence as well as at the O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, I felt I was wrongly advised by the forex department to not carry cash on hand for safety precautions. They, however, did not perceive the current naira scarcity saga that has affected millions of Nigerians — Christians, churches, nonbelievers, the rich and the poor.

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Experts Say Entrepreneurship, Not Aid, Is Key To Ethiopia’s Future

Foreign aid is not a cure-all for Africa according to experts and leaders from Africa who spoke at a recent conference in New York City. Rather, they suggest foreign aid is only part of the panacea alongside a more holistic dose of self-reliance, good governance, entrepreneurship and transcendent spiritual values.

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Recreational Marijuana Legalization Becomes New Front in the Culture Wars Following Midterms

In a midterm election highlighted by issues such as inflation, crime, abortion and threats to democracy, it turned out that recreational marijuana use has emerged as a new hot-button issue in the culture wars following staunch opposition by Catholic bishops.

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Giorgia On Their Minds: What The Vatican Thinks Of Meloni's Victory In Italy

(ANALYSIS) The Holy See still exerts a lot of influence in Italy. In a country that is still overwhelmingly Catholic, the results of Sunday’s election will put politicians at odds with this pope on many issues — although immigration will be the biggest one. Once you put aside “culture war” issues, Meloni and the pope agree on another thorny matter: Ukraine.

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Faith-Based Fashion Entrepreneurs Aim To Transform The Way We Purchase Online

With the advent of small-batch clothing lines launched easily and cheaply through websites and social media feeds rather than brick-and-mortar retail stores, many fashion entrepreneurs like Floryn C. Ajuzie are creating new clothing brands, products and strategies driven by their personal faith and beliefs. Their success raises questions about branding strategy as well as ethics of retail.

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Catholic Voters Down On Biden Ahead Of Midterms, Most Favor Abortion Rights With Limits

Four months before the midterm elections, Catholic voters are giving President Joe Biden a thumbs down, are evenly split when it comes for their support of Democrats and Republicans and have mixed opinions when it comes to abortion rights, according to a new poll.

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As We Emerge From The COVID-19 Pandemic, We Must Build Back Better

(OPINION) Oxford Forum for International Development’s conference aims to facilitate dialogue between various stakeholders in international development, starting conversations through a conference among students, researchers, young professionals, policymakers, practitioners and leaders on what it means to build back better.

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5 Catholic News Stories To Watch For In 2022

(ANALYSIS) As 2021 comes to a close, everyone is looking toward 2022. The news cycle over the last two years has been dominated by COVID-19, and that doesn’t seem to be subsiding given the rash of recent omicron infections. The Catholic world, meanwhile, had in 2021 one of its busiest years. Expect 2022 to be just as busy.

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5 Christmas Messages That Inspire Hope During The Pandemic

It was another tough year for many people around the planet. The pandemic, just as it seemed to be subsiding this fall, rages on thanks to the omicron variant. Aside from COVID-19, issues such as climate change and the plight of migrants continues to plague nations, and international conflicts continue to rattle millions around the globe.

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Marketing Dilemma: Why Some Churches Aren’t Cool With The Brand 'Big Ass Fans'

A spokesman for the company, Alex Risen, noted that other churches, high school gyms, grade school gyms and companies owned by people who don’t like profanity also find the brand and logo off-putting at times. A Polynesian cultural center in Hawaii, for example, covered the word “ass” on the fans.

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Can 'Super Mario' and Catholic Social Teaching rescue Italy's faltering economy?

(ANALYISIS) Italian economist Mario Draghi is forming a new government at the president’s request after a collapse of the ruling coalition over its handling of the pandemic. How will Catholic Social Teaching factor in helping lockdown-weary Italians — from business owners to the unemployed — achieve economic stability? The answer can be found in a 2013 speech.

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A Slightly More Transparent LDS Church One Year After News Of A $100 Billion Fund

Ensign Peak Advisors, the investment firm connected to the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-Day Saints, started filing a quarterly 13F form on Feb. 14, 2010, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which regulates publicly traded companies and other financial firms. Its initial filing revealed EPA had $38 billion in stocks and mutual funds at the end of 2019, including $1.5 billion in Apple and Microsoft. The firm had nearly $1 billion worth of shares in Amazon and Google’s parent company, Alphabet, as well.

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